I came across this telegram from Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart addressed to Judy Garland. The telegram is dated 24 September 1955, and Betty (Bacall's real name was Betty Joan Perske) and Bogie are wishing Judy Garland good luck ("Good luck tonight. You'll be a smash and we're with you. Lots of love, Betty and Bogie"). Since this sounds like something friends would write to each other, I was curious to know if they were indeed friends.
When I think of the Rat Pack, I always think of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis jr. and Frank Sinatra, who appeared on stage together and in films in the 1960s. However, there was a Rat Pack before that. It was a group of befriended actors who hung out together in New York during the 1950s, with Humphrey Bogart leading the Pack. And yes, Judy Garland was also part of the group (she was even the first vice-president). The original Rat Pack also included, amongst others, Bogart's wife Lauren Bacall (of course), Frank Sinatra (who also belonged to the new Pack), Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, David Niven and Cary Grant. There were also visiting members, Errol Flynn was one of them. So it seems Betty, Bogie and Judy were indeed friends, and the telegram was probably meant to wish Judy luck on "The Judy Garland Show" (the first episode of the Ford Star Jubilee), which aired on television on 24 September 1955.
 |
| Judy and Bogie talking and laughing |
 |
Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland, possibly at the Bogarts' residence, where the Rat Pack normally hung out.
|
That picture of Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra and Judy is from the Premiere of "A Star is Born". You can tell by the "dress". Watch the TV show they had covering the Premiere,
ReplyDelete